Activists at RNC: USMC Corp. Adam Kokesh Unfurls Protest Banners; CodePinks' Kick-Off John McCain's Speech; Protesters March

Video courtesy of VelvetRevolution.US

CodePink disrupts McCain speech; dragged out by security.

McCain tells cheering crowd "Don't be disturbed by the static!"

IVAW Banners: "You Can't Win An Occupation" and

"McCain Votes Against Vets"

Crowd chants "USA" to cover protesters' message. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Protesters interrupt McCain speech

Anti-war protesters briefly interrupted John McCain's acceptance speech Thursday night at the Republican National Convention. The nominee told supporters "don't be diverted by the crowd noise and the static."

One male protester and two female protesters were removed from the hall by security officers. The male demonstrator had a sign that read "You can't win an occupation" on one side, and "McCain votes against vets" on the other side.

The crowd tried to drown them out with chants of, "USA, USA."

"My friends, my dear friends ... please, please don't be diverted by the crowd noise and the static," McCain said. "I'm going to talk about it some more, but Americans want us to stop yelling at each other." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

INTERVIEW WITH MCCAIN HECKLER ADAM KOKESH By Dana Goldstein | AmericanProspect.com

Kokesh, a passionate Ron Paul supporter, is 26 and a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War. He served in Fallujah in 2004, grew up in Santa Fe, and currently lives in Washington, D.C. He has a website.

At the beginning of McCain's speech, Kokesh held up a sign reading, "McCain Votes Against Vets" and yelled, "Ask him why he votes against vets!" I followed as Kokesh was escorted out of the Excel Center by security, handcuffed by local police, and then briefly questioned while security debated whether or not the Secret Service would get involved. They did not. He was then escorted off the premises and allowed to go free. I interviewed him just outside the security gates, where he was greeted happily by antiwar protesters. Why were you here in the Twin Cities? And how did you get into the Excel Center?

I was here in Minneapolis for the IVAW convention and thought I’d stick around for this.

Well I’ve been a Ron Paul supporter since the beginning of this campaign. Since before this campaign started, actually, I’ve been a fan of Paul. So I’ve got a lot of friends in the Ron Paul crowd. And he’s got a lot of delegates in there. More than the Republican Party is willing to admit. And the fact that I got into there is proof of that. One of Paul’s alternate delegates got me a guest pass.

Were you surprised to be handcuffed? Or are you just relieved you were not arrested or detained longer?

I was actually expecting to get manhandled much sooner. [During the heckling], someone was grabbing my belt and pulling on me. And then someone pulled the sign out of my hands.

Do you feel your protest was effective?

Well I wasn’t so much trying to interrupt the speech as make the point that McCain has a horrible voting record on veterans. What the Republican Party is doing with their take on the war in Iraq is spinning it in such a way that it’s about victory or defeat. But they can’t face up to the fact that you can’t win an occupation. In an occupation, everybody loses. What we’re calling for is an immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces in Iraq.

Who will you vote for in November?

Bob Barr. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Protesters interrupt McCain Lisa Mascaro | LasVegasSun.com

Are you watching this?

Protesters are interrupting Arizona Sen. John McCain's speech here tonight.

So far three separate protests have led to shouting matches as the delegates on the floor and attendees in the stand try to drown them out with chants of "USA! USA!"

McCain finally tries to smooth the situation by telling his supporters not to be diverted by the "static."

"Americans want us to stop yelling at each other," he said.

Hard to see the others, but the first was an anti-war protester a few rows above us holding a sign that read "McCain voted against vets" on one side and "You can't win an occupation" on the other.

The man shouted just as the speech began.

Delegates on the floor and attendees in the stand craned necks to see the commotion.

Then they broke out with chants of "USA! USA!"

No sooner did the crowd quiet down and the speech continue than the protest continued.

Then, as someone seemed to be ripping up the sign, crowd erupted in cheers.

The protester hollers once more. Followed by more "USA! USA!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Police Clash with Demonstrators, Make Arrests at RNC

ABC News' Jennifer Duck and Lindsey Ellerson Report: Police arrested hundreds of anti-war protesters outside of the Republican convention hall Thursday night in St. Paul. Over 1,000 demonstrators marched from the State Capitol to the Xcel Energy Center, where tens of the thousands of Republican delegates and party elite gathered to hear Sen. John McCain's acceptance speech.

Police in riot gear swarmed the area outside the convention center, deploying tear gas and distraction devices known as "flash bangs" in an attempt to disperse the crowd.

Approximately three-hundred protesters were held on the bridge for nearly an hour over Interstate 94 in St. Paul. After hours of people protesting, police instructed demonstrators to file onto the bridge and then announced everyone would be arrested, refusing to allow anyone off the overpass. Law enforcement barricading the bridge fired pepper spray, instructing protesters to put their hands behind their heads.

ABC News' Jennifer Duck was trapped with the marchers on the bridge and observed many young children scared and crying. She spoke to several marchers who said they wanted to go home, but the police refused to allow any movement. Members of the media, and many trying to follow police direction were being pepper sprayed in the face.

One policeman told ABC News that a firearm was confiscated from a protester on the bridge and that people were throwing rocks.

The RNC's Joint Information Center told ABC News that 88 arrests have been made on Thursday thus far, but more than 200 demonstrators are on their way now to Ramsey County Jail to be detained.

At least some of the protesters were part of the Anti-War Committee, who organized an afternoon rally on the capitol, followed by a march to the Xcel Energy Center, where the RNC is being held. At 5pm central, the protesters' permit expired, but demonstrators refused to leave. The crowd of nearly 700 stood at a standstill with the police as they tried to march from the capitol to the Xcel Center without success. The protesters, chanting, "Let us march!" and "No blood for oil, U.S. off Iraqi soil!" were non-violent in their actions. At one point, approximately 100 people sat down in the middle of the street, in front of more than two-dozen officers on horses, making the peace sign with their hands and singing the star spangled banner.

"Protesters felt that tonight was an important night to demonstrate in St. Paul. The eyes of the world are on John McCain tonight," said Meredith Aby of the Anti-War Committee in a statement to the press. "We felt it was imperative that his message of war did not go unchallenged. The police and the city of St. Paul decided to make downtown a Republican speech zone, but our demonstration challenged their decision."

Since the Republican National Convention began, there have been several riots in St. Paul and Minneapolis, protesting the Iraq war and the Bush administration's policies. The most disruptive protest took place on Monday, when violence broke out at a rally organized by the Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War. It was estimated that 8,000-10,000 people were present and more than 280 demonstrators were arrested. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~